# USDA is dropping rabies vaccine from the sky

> Millions of fishmeal baits are going out over four Southeast states this October, and there's a reason South Carolina is left out.
- Title: USDA is dropping rabies vaccine from the sky · Valleynewslive
- Summary: Millions of fishmeal baits are going out over four Southeast states this October, and there's a reason South Carolina is left out. If you find a fishmeal…
- Keywords: rabies, usda, wildlife, public health, vaccines, news, local, dropping, vaccine, sky, Valleynewslive
- Source: Valleynewslive — https://valleynewslive.com/2026/09/12/usda-airdrop-millions-rabies-vaccine-doses-over-these-states
- Published: 2026-09-12T21:52:52.142+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: rabies, usda, wildlife, public health, vaccines, news, local
## Vaccines from the air
The USDA is spreading millions of rabies vaccine doses across the Southeast this October, dropped by plane, helicopter and vehicle.
## Bait a raccoon will eat
The dose is hidden in fishmeal-coated sachets, cubes and blister packs. Wildlife eat the bait, and the vaccine goes to work.

> airdropping and spreading fishmeal-coated sachets of the vaccine to be consumed by wildlife
## Four projects, four zones
Abingdon, Virginia covers NC, TN, VA and southern WV with 686,000 baits. Andrews, North Carolina adds 415,000 across western NC and north Georgia.
## Alabama gets the most
Dalton, Georgia distributes 648,000 baits over AL, GA, NC and TN. Gadsden, Alabama drops roughly 712,000, the largest share of any project.
## Leave the sachets alone
If you find one, don't touch it. They're safe for dogs and cats, and a dog that eats several may get a brief upset stomach with no lasting harm.

> dogs that eat multiple baits may experience a temporary upset stomach, but there are no long-term health risks
## Why South Carolina is skipped
The zones form a moving wall at the westernmost edge of raccoon rabies. Rabies is already everywhere in SC, and the program won't spot treat outbreaks outside the barrier.

> The goal is to prevent westward spread of raccoon rabies by creating a continuous vaccine barrier
## Key takeaway

If you find a fishmeal sachet on the ground this October, leave it alone. It's a rabies vaccine bait meant for raccoons, and it's safe around pets.